Meet Kevin Sheft.
Kevin is serving as an Up2Us Sports AmeriCorps VISTA at Bridge to Skate for Summer 2022. While skating and volunteering are a natural pairing of interests for him, his journey to this place in his life wasn’t a deliberate one.
Here is Kevin’s story:
In May of 2020 I found myself driving across the country with my fiancé, our two dogs and all of our belongings in a rented RV. As a Hospitality Professional, I had spent much of the previous decade providing luxury services at a few world renowned Manhattan hotels. When COVID-19 hit New York, I helped to close down the hotel I was working at and began to stay home with the rest of the city. While a future move to the west coast had been debated, my abundance of free time along with my partner’s ability to work remotely and a landlord that was looking to renovate, led us to make the leap a bit early.
After arriving in Los Angeles during lockdown, I found myself using some of my new found free time to reflect on my career. While I have enjoyed my time in the Hospitality Industry, I thought about how demanding the occupation could be while failing to make much of an impact on the general well-being of society. I found myself compelled to find a new endeavor that did not fit into this category.
Moving to Los Angeles simultaneously unlocked a love that I had forgotten: skateboarding! Being in the mecca inspired me to push myself on a board in ways I hadn’t done since teenage years, and I knew that the road into the future would be traveled by skateboard.
“Moving to Los Angeles simultaneously unlocked a love that I had forgotten: skateboarding! Being in the mecca inspired me to push myself on a board in ways I hadn’t done since teenage years, and I knew that the road into the future would be traveled by skateboard.”
During this time I also came across a website for an organization called Bridge To Skate and felt that it would be a perfect match. A group that uses skateboarding as a tool for youth development really spoke to me, as I had relied on the sport so much myself growing up. After connecting with founder Chantelle Heroux, I began to volunteer for the after-school programs held at local Youth Activity Leagues in conjunction with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. In doing so, I became more familiar with the organization and all the amazing kids that are part of the program. When the opportunity was presented to spend more time in the capacity of a Up2Us Sports AmeriCorps Summer VISTA, I was thrilled to accept.
As a Summer VISTA, I’ve been working to help my organization grow! Bridge To Skate has expanded its footprint throughout Los Angeles while simultaneously providing skateboard-focused philanthropic activities throughout the world, with active programming currently operating in eight countries outside of the U.S. Being able to work closely with a founder like Chantelle has been nothing short of inspirational while providing invaluable experience working in the non-profit sector. As a coach, one of my favorite occurrences to experience is when a new skateboarder “drops in,” on a ramp for the first time. This means that they successfully travel from the top to the bottom while standing on the board. It’s pretty daunting at first, and you can literally see the fear in their eyes as they look down from the top of the ramp. Sometimes it can be mastered in an afternoon, although this process could take days, weeks or even months before we have enough balance and confidence to drop in on our own. Prior to that, we literally lend our hands to assist and make sure that no one gets hurt. I’ve helped countless kids with this method, and the look on their faces when they make it down the ramp for the first time is absolutely priceless. The initial reaction is utter disbelief, followed by a wave of euphoria and accomplishment. Every time! It’s amazing.
“As a coach, one of my favorite occurrences to experience is when a new skateboarder “drops in,” on a ramp for the first time...I’ve helped countless kids with this method, and the look on their faces when they make it down the ramp for the first time is absolutely priceless. The initial reaction is utter disbelief, followed by a wave of euphoria and accomplishment. Every time! It’s amazing.”
My Summer VISTA experience has been fantastic. We’ve been able to have a positive impact and share our love of skateboarding with so many, and maybe sneak in some life lessons and mentoring along the way. Skateboarding isn’t easy. It takes time and dedication, hard work and lots of practice. We fall down, but learn to pick ourselves up and try harder next time. We learn the thrill that comes from finally achieving a goal that we’ve worked hard towards. I like to think that the youths who come through our program have built confidence while learning to set goals and working hard to achieve them.
As my experience draws to a close I will be taking some time off to welcome a new member into my family, but I look forward to continuing to work with Bridge To Skate in the future and am grateful to Up2Us Sports and AmeriCorps for providing me with this opportunity to give back.
“I like to think that the youths who come through our program have built confidence while learning to set goals and working hard to achieve them.”
For more information on Bridge To Skate you can visit www.bridgetoskate.org or check us out on Instagram @bridgetoskate.
For random photography, skateboarding with kids and the occasional dog pic, I can be found on Instagram @thaundaw8luva.
